Life has been rather busy lately.
Two weeks ago, Jeff and I went to my Christmas party for work. I was dreading it, but we put on our happy faces and went. I made the most delicious brownies ever. No joke. In fact, they were so good that they were all devoured and Rosa scraped all the extra off the pan. So, when I took the pan home, there was no denying that she'd drug her finger all over it to pick up the bits of brownie that stuck to the pan.
On the bright side, we each put in $3 to play the game "Left, Right, Center" and Jeff and I ended up winning the jackpot - $48. Not bad!
I got a necklace and earrings from Rosa, a jewelry box from Jen, two movie passes from Dominic, coasters, and an adorable tea cup, matching saucer, and pack of flavored tea from Kamisha. Not to mention a big box of chocolates from one of the participants. I thought those were all very sweet gifts.
That night, we were invited to go to Jen's house for her Christmas party, but we already had plans. Jeff's friend was getting out of the AF, so we went to his little party. It was kind of fun. I finally met his troop, Angeles and another girl named Melody. I really liked Melody, so I invited her to our Christmas Eve dinner - since she was new in town and a single mom of two kids.
The work week was short - thank God! I got done an hour early on Wednesday and only had to work for two hours on Thursday because we had a low census and Eva had to send people home. Then, I had Christmas day off.
Wednesday night, I cleaned the house and got what I could ready for Christmas Eve.
When I got done on Thursday, I raced home, baked a pumpkin and a cherry pie. Then, I started to set up and cook dinner.
People started showing up at around 5:30. We had Angeles and her boyfriend, Denise and her two kids, and Melody and her two kids. It was nice. I made white chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice. Jeff made shredded beef tacos. It turned out really well.
My mom wanted me to open my present from her and Dad on Christmas Eve, so I did. I about wet my pants when I saw that they sent me a KITCHENAID STAND MIXER!! I don't think that anyone can really understand my obsession with them. I am so happy! I can't wait to use it. :)
Thankfully, everyone left before 9. We were absolutely worn-out!
Jeff actually woke up before me on Christmas. We brushed our teeth, started some coffee, turned on the TV to the channel with the fireplace and Christmas music, then we opened our gifts.
It was a great Christmas. Jeff got me a bamboo pepper mill, which I have really wanted to buy.
Also, I got a Rachael Ray garbage bowl. That was an awesome gift because I've been wanting one. Sure, I could just use the garbage can, but I never think to grab it until I've already opened the chicken package and there is poultry juice dripping all over. So, the garbage bowl was absolutely perfect for me.
He bought me the movie "Julie and Julia." It is adorable. I have been walking around the house saying, "bon appetit" and "boeuf bourguinon" for the past three days now.
My favorite gift from him was a magnetic spice rack. It is the coolest thing ever and I'd been planning to just make one myself since they are kind of pricey. He saved me the effort. :)
Lastly, he got me an AeroGarden with the seeds to start an Italian herb garden. I love it!
I got him rudder pedals for his game, Aces High 2, the movie "Step Brothers," because he loves it, some Jack Daniels, a hat, and Whiskey Stones (little stones that you put in your drink in place of ice - so they don't melt and water down your drink), and some underwear - because they are practical and he needed them. :)
His brother got him some shirts, some stickers for his Jeep, and a gift card. Then, of course, my parents sent him a ton of cheese and sausage, which we have been enjoying. :) He still has more gifts coming from his family.
We were both very happy.
I made biscuits and gravy with sausage and eggs for Christmas morning breakfast. Then, for dinner, we went to his friend Amanda's house. We had a really nice time there. We watched the movie "Four Christmases," which turned out to be pretty funny. Except for the fact that my dear lover, Tim McGraw, looked like white trash in the movie. Oh well.
Saturday and Sunday we just lounged around and watched movies and Dexter. It was perfect.
He took me to Macaroni Grill for dinner last night since he had a gift card. Ugh, I have some working out to do. I am happy to report, though, that I survived Thanksgiving AND Christmas with a less than two pound weight gain. That is astonishing for me. Say what you want, but I am very proud of myself because sweets and I go together like bread and butter. I couldn't resist them. However, I worked out as often as possible.
This week, I have Friday off. Yay! We are going over to the King's house on New Year's Eve to play games and snack. It should be fun. They are nice people.
Tomorrow after work, I am supposed to go to Le Cordon Bleu to meet with the admissions office to see about attending school there. It is just an option. I decided that yes, I could be a nurse and make pretty good money, but would I be happy? Doubtful. I've had my fair share of health care. It is time for me to move on and find something that I'm passionate about. I just want to be happy.
So, we will see what happens with this. Hopefully not another disappointment when it comes to financial aid.
I'll keep you posted though.
Adios!
12.28.2009
12.11.2009
Oh, and I almost forgot...
If you happen to know how to change the template of a blog, could you please do it for me? I've been trying, but to no avail. It's way past the season of bees.
'Tis The Season To Be Jolly...
Last weekend Jeff and I really didn't do very much.
I have absolutely no recollection of Friday night. What the hell? Am I losing it? Perhaps. This is going to bother me. Oh well, carrying on....
On Saturday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn. Why? Because my body doesn't believe in sleeping in anymore. It is unfortunate. I'd love to snooze until 11:00 just once.
I woke Jeff up because he had a ton of homework to do, and he asked me to make sure he was up by 7:30. Then, I brewed some coffee for us to sip on. I have never been a coffee drinker, but lately I've been enjoying an occasional cup. I think it is just because of the cold weather, though.
I know what you are thinking, but let me tell you! It does get pretty nippy here! There was a high of 50 today, and I had frost on my windshield this morning! Plus, it rains during the winter. Cold rains suck. The only thing that I like about winter is the snow on the mountain tops. I'm still waiting for that, though.
Anyway, I had no ambition to go to the gym, so instead I went to Walmart for a few baking supplies. I had most of the stuff, so that was nice.
When I got home, I decided that maybe it would be wise to make the cut-out cookies in advance - so that we didn't have to make the dough, wait for it to chill, roll it out, bake the cookies, wait for them cool, and then decorate them - on top of the other cookies that I had planned.
Some day I will have a kitchen with two ovens. Yes, yes, I will. Ooh, and maybe a second refrigerator and freezer. Of course, I'll also have ample counterspace. Then, I will just stay home all the time and cook and bake to my heart's content. Ahhhh, I can dream.
Focus, Ashley!
I got all the sugar cookies baked. It took awhile and a lot of patience with the dough, but they turned out well. :) I'm so proud.
Saturday night was the Christmas party for Jeff's squadron. I guess that it is typically a very fancy affair, but this year is was not. In fact, it was in one of the AMU's hangars AKA a big garage for the jets. Classy, eh? A lot of people were disappointed, but I was quite content with the casual style. I don't really own many clothes to begin with, let alone dressy stuff! So, that saved me a bundle. Hallelujah! Other than being cold, I had a great time.
We sat with the Thayer's and the King's. They are both younger couples, each with a toddler, and I like them a lot. They had snacks (including Hershey's Kisses - both cherry flavored and with almonds! Yum.), they served us Mexican food (while it may not have been the best and a lot of people compared it to previous years, I was quite happy with it!), and they had an ENDLESS supply of FREE Diet Pepsi!! Well, amongst other drinks. I enjoyed myself and was glad that I went.
Afterward, Jeff was invited to an Irish Pub to drink. He had to get up early to do more homework, so he said we would go for one drink and stressed the fact that he had stuff to do in the morning. Surprisingly, the guys were understanding. However, we never made it to the Irish Pub. Instead, the guys changed the plans and we went to The Coyote Cabaret AKA The Shitty Titty AKA a strip club. Excuse me while I go say three Hail Marys.
I was lucky enough to join these guys on one other trip to "The Tit." This is the only one that I have been to, and let me tell you this: it is a doozy! Basically, they hire anyone. By anyone, I mean just that. ANYONE. They have girls of all shapes and sizes. Mostly in the shape of round, though. The guys do not go there because it is a good show. They go there because it is a bar, it is right across from base, and because it is like a wreck that you can't take your eyes off of. We left early.
When we got home, I made the peanut butter balls, so that they would be chilling in the fridge until I could dip them the next day. Then, I mixed up the dough for the peanut butter blossoms, stuck it in the fridge, and called it a night.
I woke up nice and early on Sunday, went to the gym, showered, enjoyed some coffee, and started working on my cookies. I whipped up some frosting for the sugar cookies. Then, I rolled out all the balls from the peanut butter cookie dough, so that I could bake them.
Nicole arrived around 12:00. She helped me make the Buttery Almond cookies. Then, we decorated, and decorated, and decorated! The first five-dozen were a blast, but by the end I decided that I would be cutting next year's recipe in half! The outcome was so delicious, though, that by next year I will probably decide that it was well-worth the effort, and I will fall back into the trap of decorating E I G H T dozen sugar cookies. Next year I won't have Nicole, though. They are leaving for Colorado in March.
Once we finished that project, she had to leave. So, Jeff and I dipped the peanut butter balls together. It was fun.
I sent some cookies home with Nicole, sent Jeff over to the neighbor's house with some, enjoyed some for myself, and sent the rest to work with Jeff for his entire AMU to enjoy. They did just that. So, I must say that it was time well-spent. :)
Work, work, work...what can I say about work?
I can't stand our activity therapist. She is driving us all up a tree. She sits in her office all day. That is her job. She used to help us on the floor and interact with the participants. She used to even do the most important part of her job. You know, come up with new activities and schedule them. For the past few months, though, all she has done is locked herself in her office and done nothing. In fact, recently WE have been coming up with all of the ideas and she just plays it off like she is the brilliant mind behind the crafty ideas.
She complains that she has so much work to do, but everytime we turn around she is texting, smoking, or in the kitchen eating. She also loves to hand her work off on us because we have so much time to file her papers for her. When she isn't doing those things, though, she enjoys harrassing the staff-especially the kitchen worker because she spends so much time in there. Most of what she says goes in one ear and out the other. We all know that she is just being a witch and that most of what she says contradicts what our REAL supervisor says. So, we choose to ignore her.
She is always hounding my dear Rosa. Finally, she became so fed up with it that Rosa said something this week at our staff meeting. It was a failed attempt to make our work environment more pleasant. Now, the activity therapist has it out for Rosa and has been chasing her around yelling at her all week. It breaks my heart because Rosa is the kindest, sweetest, hardest-working woman ever.
I wasted way too much energy typing all those words about her. I just get so fed up that I could scream or cry. Normally, I just cry because I don't have the balls to stand up for myself.
This weekend will be pretty boring. Tomorrow there is a Festival of Cheer that I might go to - if my friend Nicole decides to take her kids. Then, I think that I will whip up some pasta and homemade bread sticks for dinner - since I have everything on hand. On Sunday, my supervisor invited me to visit her church. I don't really want to go because I'm a scared little chicken, but I will go anyway.
Next weekend is my work Christmas party with just the HPP staff. I am making a chocolate cake from scratch. I'm so excited. :) If it is tasty delicious, I will post the goodness.
We don't have any official plans for the holidays, but I am pretty sure that we will have a small meal here and invite some of the people that don't have plans. I sure wish that we could be home, though. Maybe another year.
I have absolutely no recollection of Friday night. What the hell? Am I losing it? Perhaps. This is going to bother me. Oh well, carrying on....
On Saturday morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn. Why? Because my body doesn't believe in sleeping in anymore. It is unfortunate. I'd love to snooze until 11:00 just once.
I woke Jeff up because he had a ton of homework to do, and he asked me to make sure he was up by 7:30. Then, I brewed some coffee for us to sip on. I have never been a coffee drinker, but lately I've been enjoying an occasional cup. I think it is just because of the cold weather, though.
I know what you are thinking, but let me tell you! It does get pretty nippy here! There was a high of 50 today, and I had frost on my windshield this morning! Plus, it rains during the winter. Cold rains suck. The only thing that I like about winter is the snow on the mountain tops. I'm still waiting for that, though.
Anyway, I had no ambition to go to the gym, so instead I went to Walmart for a few baking supplies. I had most of the stuff, so that was nice.
When I got home, I decided that maybe it would be wise to make the cut-out cookies in advance - so that we didn't have to make the dough, wait for it to chill, roll it out, bake the cookies, wait for them cool, and then decorate them - on top of the other cookies that I had planned.
Some day I will have a kitchen with two ovens. Yes, yes, I will. Ooh, and maybe a second refrigerator and freezer. Of course, I'll also have ample counterspace. Then, I will just stay home all the time and cook and bake to my heart's content. Ahhhh, I can dream.
Focus, Ashley!
I got all the sugar cookies baked. It took awhile and a lot of patience with the dough, but they turned out well. :) I'm so proud.
Saturday night was the Christmas party for Jeff's squadron. I guess that it is typically a very fancy affair, but this year is was not. In fact, it was in one of the AMU's hangars AKA a big garage for the jets. Classy, eh? A lot of people were disappointed, but I was quite content with the casual style. I don't really own many clothes to begin with, let alone dressy stuff! So, that saved me a bundle. Hallelujah! Other than being cold, I had a great time.
We sat with the Thayer's and the King's. They are both younger couples, each with a toddler, and I like them a lot. They had snacks (including Hershey's Kisses - both cherry flavored and with almonds! Yum.), they served us Mexican food (while it may not have been the best and a lot of people compared it to previous years, I was quite happy with it!), and they had an ENDLESS supply of FREE Diet Pepsi!! Well, amongst other drinks. I enjoyed myself and was glad that I went.
Afterward, Jeff was invited to an Irish Pub to drink. He had to get up early to do more homework, so he said we would go for one drink and stressed the fact that he had stuff to do in the morning. Surprisingly, the guys were understanding. However, we never made it to the Irish Pub. Instead, the guys changed the plans and we went to The Coyote Cabaret AKA The Shitty Titty AKA a strip club. Excuse me while I go say three Hail Marys.
I was lucky enough to join these guys on one other trip to "The Tit." This is the only one that I have been to, and let me tell you this: it is a doozy! Basically, they hire anyone. By anyone, I mean just that. ANYONE. They have girls of all shapes and sizes. Mostly in the shape of round, though. The guys do not go there because it is a good show. They go there because it is a bar, it is right across from base, and because it is like a wreck that you can't take your eyes off of. We left early.
When we got home, I made the peanut butter balls, so that they would be chilling in the fridge until I could dip them the next day. Then, I mixed up the dough for the peanut butter blossoms, stuck it in the fridge, and called it a night.
I woke up nice and early on Sunday, went to the gym, showered, enjoyed some coffee, and started working on my cookies. I whipped up some frosting for the sugar cookies. Then, I rolled out all the balls from the peanut butter cookie dough, so that I could bake them.
Nicole arrived around 12:00. She helped me make the Buttery Almond cookies. Then, we decorated, and decorated, and decorated! The first five-dozen were a blast, but by the end I decided that I would be cutting next year's recipe in half! The outcome was so delicious, though, that by next year I will probably decide that it was well-worth the effort, and I will fall back into the trap of decorating E I G H T dozen sugar cookies. Next year I won't have Nicole, though. They are leaving for Colorado in March.
Once we finished that project, she had to leave. So, Jeff and I dipped the peanut butter balls together. It was fun.
I sent some cookies home with Nicole, sent Jeff over to the neighbor's house with some, enjoyed some for myself, and sent the rest to work with Jeff for his entire AMU to enjoy. They did just that. So, I must say that it was time well-spent. :)
Work, work, work...what can I say about work?
I can't stand our activity therapist. She is driving us all up a tree. She sits in her office all day. That is her job. She used to help us on the floor and interact with the participants. She used to even do the most important part of her job. You know, come up with new activities and schedule them. For the past few months, though, all she has done is locked herself in her office and done nothing. In fact, recently WE have been coming up with all of the ideas and she just plays it off like she is the brilliant mind behind the crafty ideas.
She complains that she has so much work to do, but everytime we turn around she is texting, smoking, or in the kitchen eating. She also loves to hand her work off on us because we have so much time to file her papers for her. When she isn't doing those things, though, she enjoys harrassing the staff-especially the kitchen worker because she spends so much time in there. Most of what she says goes in one ear and out the other. We all know that she is just being a witch and that most of what she says contradicts what our REAL supervisor says. So, we choose to ignore her.
She is always hounding my dear Rosa. Finally, she became so fed up with it that Rosa said something this week at our staff meeting. It was a failed attempt to make our work environment more pleasant. Now, the activity therapist has it out for Rosa and has been chasing her around yelling at her all week. It breaks my heart because Rosa is the kindest, sweetest, hardest-working woman ever.
I wasted way too much energy typing all those words about her. I just get so fed up that I could scream or cry. Normally, I just cry because I don't have the balls to stand up for myself.
This weekend will be pretty boring. Tomorrow there is a Festival of Cheer that I might go to - if my friend Nicole decides to take her kids. Then, I think that I will whip up some pasta and homemade bread sticks for dinner - since I have everything on hand. On Sunday, my supervisor invited me to visit her church. I don't really want to go because I'm a scared little chicken, but I will go anyway.
Next weekend is my work Christmas party with just the HPP staff. I am making a chocolate cake from scratch. I'm so excited. :) If it is tasty delicious, I will post the goodness.
We don't have any official plans for the holidays, but I am pretty sure that we will have a small meal here and invite some of the people that don't have plans. I sure wish that we could be home, though. Maybe another year.
11.28.2009
Home Sweet Home
Jeff and I just got home about an hour ago or so. We unpacked all of our stuff, started some laundry, showered, and Jeff is now on his way to pick up the Tobster. We miss the little devil. :)
We had such a great week! I left at 10:30 on Tuesday. By the time I got through the construction traffic on Grand Ave, made it to the parking garage, and went through ticketing, it was already 12:30. That was perfect because I had less than an hour and a half to wait.
I was super hungry, since I had only eaten yogurt. So, I treated myself to a ham and Swiss sandwich from Paradise Bakery. After I ate, I went through security and sat at the gate waiting to board. Time flew right by.
The flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes, which was so nice. I got to DFW right before 5. Jeff, his dad, and his sister picked me up. We went straight to Jason and Ruth's house.
I was glad to finally meet Ruth and Jack. Jack is completely in love with Jeff It is really cute.
Ruth's parents were visiting from Spain. So, we all went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Gloria's. It was very good.
Ruth's parents invited us to Tenerife for our honeymoon. They will provide us with an apartment and a car for two weeks, if we pay for our tickets, food, etc. We are very seriously considering it!
We visited at Jason and Ruth's house for a bit, then we headed to Grandbury - where we were staying. I believe the drive was around an hour, maybe a little more.
I stayed at Stuart and Leigh's house with Jeff and Katie. They are the nicest people in the whole world. I was given the grand tour of their 130-year old home, named the Nutt House after the original owner. They also told me some ghost stories. It was absolutely gorgeous. It still had a lot of the original furniture, books, etc in the home. We were actually the last people that would ever stay at the Nutt House because next month, the Historical Society is taking over the property and it is becoming a museum.
We sat around and talked for a bit, but it was kind of late by the time we got there, so we went to bed soon after arriving. Katie and I were supposed to share the kids' room upstairs, but it was creepy and neither of us wanted to stay in there. So, the first night, I slept in what used to be the dentist's office, and Jeff slept on a mattress on the floor.
On Wednesday, I was taken over to Mz. Grenner's (Jeff's grandma) house to meet her. She told me how much Jeff bragged about me and my cooking/baking. :)
Jeff, Katie, his dad, Stuart, and I went to eat at the Nutt House Hotel. It was pretty good food. Katie went to visit some friends, so the rest of us spent the day running errands in an attempt to get ready for Thanksgiving.
Since more people were staying there that night, Katie and I had to stay upstairs.
We sat in the living room and listened to the guys play guitar and Katie sing.
I was the first person to go to bed, so Jeff went upstairs with me until I fell asleep. As I was dozing off, I hear what sounded like splashing. I opened my eyes and asked Jeff what the noise was - hoping I was hearing things. He said he didn't know, so we flew downstairs. It turns out that when they run the dishwasher, the upstairs bathroom drain bubbles. Phew!
I was still spooked, so I slept in the dentist's office until Katie went to bed. Jeff slept on the floor with us.
On Thanksgiving morning, Jeff (Leigh's brother) and I were the first one's up. I got ready right away and had some coffee. Stuart got up shortly after us. When Leigh got up, I helped her around the kitchen with her brother. Then, Mz. G showed up to help. We did a lot of talking. It was really fun.
People started showing up at around 10. We ate breakfast casserole and fruit. Then, visited and got more of the cooking done. I met Jeff's cousin, Anne, her husband, Carl, and Carl's sister, Christy. I loved them.
Jason, Ruth, Jack, and Ruth's parents all came as well. Their was a big crowd. It was nice.
His entire family was really funny. I laughed so much and felt very comfortable and welcome there.
When all the kitchen stuff was done, Jeff and I went behind the house and picked some pecans to take home.
Right before dinner, we all gathered on the porch for a toast. Then, we listened to Leigh's brother (I think he is a minister) read a verse from the bible and Mz. G say Grace.
The food was so delicious. It was all very different from what I'm used to. Leigh made some sweet potatoes, and I actually liked them. I have never liked them before.
After dinner, we sat in the dentist's office and played Rockband: The Beatles Edition.
Jeff, Spencer, Chris, Jason, and I stayed up pretty late. I think it was around 1:30 when Jason left and after 3 when we went to bed. We just sat in front of the fireplace and told spooky stories.
Jeff and I slept in until around 10 on Friday. Katie brought us breakfast from Whataburger. Jeff and I got ready and walked around the square for awhile. Then, we had lunch at some little place.
Jeff's dad had us come home early, so that we could go say our goodbyes to Jason and Ruth. Katie was spending time with her mom, so it was just Jeff, Spencer, Mike, and I that went there. We hung out for a little bit and had some dinner. Then, we said our goodbyes and left.
Saying goodbye made me cry. It was harder than I thought it would be.
I went to bed early, but didn't get very much sleep.
The others stayed up super late.
We got up at 5:30 and left a little after 6. I cried when we said goodbye to Mike, Katie, Stuart, and Leigh. Stuart and Leigh are planning to come to the wedding, though.
They are great people.
On the way to DFW, we dropped Leigh's brother off at the train station. We got to the airport a little early, so we got a small breakfast while we waited.
Jeff and I slept most of the flight. We were sad to leave, but glad to finally get home!
Jeff plans to go to Tennessee in May or June for Katie's graduation, but Mike told him not to. He said that he should save his money for the wedding. We will see what happens.
Everyone kept telling Jeff how much they loved me, which meant a lot. When we were leaving, Stuart told me that we don't have to be married to be a part of the family. I am already a part of the Kelley clan.
Anyway, it was a terrific week. Yes, I would have loved to be with my family, but I'm glad to now have more family members to spend time with. :)
We had such a great week! I left at 10:30 on Tuesday. By the time I got through the construction traffic on Grand Ave, made it to the parking garage, and went through ticketing, it was already 12:30. That was perfect because I had less than an hour and a half to wait.
I was super hungry, since I had only eaten yogurt. So, I treated myself to a ham and Swiss sandwich from Paradise Bakery. After I ate, I went through security and sat at the gate waiting to board. Time flew right by.
The flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes, which was so nice. I got to DFW right before 5. Jeff, his dad, and his sister picked me up. We went straight to Jason and Ruth's house.
I was glad to finally meet Ruth and Jack. Jack is completely in love with Jeff It is really cute.
Ruth's parents were visiting from Spain. So, we all went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Gloria's. It was very good.
Ruth's parents invited us to Tenerife for our honeymoon. They will provide us with an apartment and a car for two weeks, if we pay for our tickets, food, etc. We are very seriously considering it!
We visited at Jason and Ruth's house for a bit, then we headed to Grandbury - where we were staying. I believe the drive was around an hour, maybe a little more.
I stayed at Stuart and Leigh's house with Jeff and Katie. They are the nicest people in the whole world. I was given the grand tour of their 130-year old home, named the Nutt House after the original owner. They also told me some ghost stories. It was absolutely gorgeous. It still had a lot of the original furniture, books, etc in the home. We were actually the last people that would ever stay at the Nutt House because next month, the Historical Society is taking over the property and it is becoming a museum.
We sat around and talked for a bit, but it was kind of late by the time we got there, so we went to bed soon after arriving. Katie and I were supposed to share the kids' room upstairs, but it was creepy and neither of us wanted to stay in there. So, the first night, I slept in what used to be the dentist's office, and Jeff slept on a mattress on the floor.
On Wednesday, I was taken over to Mz. Grenner's (Jeff's grandma) house to meet her. She told me how much Jeff bragged about me and my cooking/baking. :)
Jeff, Katie, his dad, Stuart, and I went to eat at the Nutt House Hotel. It was pretty good food. Katie went to visit some friends, so the rest of us spent the day running errands in an attempt to get ready for Thanksgiving.
Since more people were staying there that night, Katie and I had to stay upstairs.
We sat in the living room and listened to the guys play guitar and Katie sing.
I was the first person to go to bed, so Jeff went upstairs with me until I fell asleep. As I was dozing off, I hear what sounded like splashing. I opened my eyes and asked Jeff what the noise was - hoping I was hearing things. He said he didn't know, so we flew downstairs. It turns out that when they run the dishwasher, the upstairs bathroom drain bubbles. Phew!
I was still spooked, so I slept in the dentist's office until Katie went to bed. Jeff slept on the floor with us.
On Thanksgiving morning, Jeff (Leigh's brother) and I were the first one's up. I got ready right away and had some coffee. Stuart got up shortly after us. When Leigh got up, I helped her around the kitchen with her brother. Then, Mz. G showed up to help. We did a lot of talking. It was really fun.
People started showing up at around 10. We ate breakfast casserole and fruit. Then, visited and got more of the cooking done. I met Jeff's cousin, Anne, her husband, Carl, and Carl's sister, Christy. I loved them.
Jason, Ruth, Jack, and Ruth's parents all came as well. Their was a big crowd. It was nice.
His entire family was really funny. I laughed so much and felt very comfortable and welcome there.
When all the kitchen stuff was done, Jeff and I went behind the house and picked some pecans to take home.
Right before dinner, we all gathered on the porch for a toast. Then, we listened to Leigh's brother (I think he is a minister) read a verse from the bible and Mz. G say Grace.
The food was so delicious. It was all very different from what I'm used to. Leigh made some sweet potatoes, and I actually liked them. I have never liked them before.
After dinner, we sat in the dentist's office and played Rockband: The Beatles Edition.
Jeff, Spencer, Chris, Jason, and I stayed up pretty late. I think it was around 1:30 when Jason left and after 3 when we went to bed. We just sat in front of the fireplace and told spooky stories.
Jeff and I slept in until around 10 on Friday. Katie brought us breakfast from Whataburger. Jeff and I got ready and walked around the square for awhile. Then, we had lunch at some little place.
Jeff's dad had us come home early, so that we could go say our goodbyes to Jason and Ruth. Katie was spending time with her mom, so it was just Jeff, Spencer, Mike, and I that went there. We hung out for a little bit and had some dinner. Then, we said our goodbyes and left.
Saying goodbye made me cry. It was harder than I thought it would be.
I went to bed early, but didn't get very much sleep.
The others stayed up super late.
We got up at 5:30 and left a little after 6. I cried when we said goodbye to Mike, Katie, Stuart, and Leigh. Stuart and Leigh are planning to come to the wedding, though.
They are great people.
On the way to DFW, we dropped Leigh's brother off at the train station. We got to the airport a little early, so we got a small breakfast while we waited.
Jeff and I slept most of the flight. We were sad to leave, but glad to finally get home!
Jeff plans to go to Tennessee in May or June for Katie's graduation, but Mike told him not to. He said that he should save his money for the wedding. We will see what happens.
Everyone kept telling Jeff how much they loved me, which meant a lot. When we were leaving, Stuart told me that we don't have to be married to be a part of the family. I am already a part of the Kelley clan.
Anyway, it was a terrific week. Yes, I would have loved to be with my family, but I'm glad to now have more family members to spend time with. :)
11.24.2009
Happy Turkey Day!
I just figured that I'd do a quick update before I head off to the airport. I fly out at 1:50 PM. Thankfully, the flight is only 2 hours and 15 minutes long. THAT I can handle.
A few weeks ago, Jeff and I put an offer in on the house we are living in. The owners have to short sale it because they can no longer afford the mortgage, but they don't want to foreclose. They are asking about $95k for it, which is an amazing deal. They bought it two or three years ago for over $200k. The cost of a mortgage payment would be about $200 or more LESS than we are paying for rent. This is going to be a long process, though. The banks take their sweet time on short sales, so we aren't expecting to hear back from them for a good 8 weeks or more. If we get the house, we will stay here for a couple of years. If we don't, we have discussed living on base once we are married. It's just a waiting game.
The wedding planning is....going. I still haven't decided on the dresses for the bridesmaids. I THINK I know what I want, but that changes daily. Most of the big stuff is out of the way, at least. Now, I just have to figure out all the little stuff. Piece of cake, right? Ha.
Two weeks ago, Jeff and I went to my annual employee party. I think that we were both less than thrilled to be going, but to our surprise, we actually had a good time. The dinner was delicious! Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, hot buttered rolls, green beans with almond slivers, salad, and peppermint ice cream. Yum, yum! We won several prizes - nothing special, but we never win anything, so we are easily excited about stuff like that. Then, we danced the night away. Embarrassing, I know. I had to face those people the following Monday....
The next night, Jeff and I participated in the Light the Night walk to help raise funds for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. It was fun. We took Toby, who is the most annoying dog to walk on a leash. Good Lord. I wish that he would get the hang of it.
I made some delicious French Onion soup a couple of weeks ago. It was really good, but Jeff was unimpressed. That is the first dish of mine that he didn't like. I could have eaten the whole pot, though! His major complaint? He didn't like the soggy crouton in the soup. Apparently he has never had French onion soup before! That is the best damn part. He doesn't like broccoli, cauliflower, black olives, coconut, and now French Onion soup?! What am I to do with this man? Those are some of my all-time favorites. :(
I took Jeff to the airport this past Saturday. His cousin, Brian, was getting married later that night. So, he flew out bright and early Saturday morning. Toby and I have just been relaxing and enjoying the quiet around here.
Last night I dropped my dear doggy off at our friend Amanda's house. She wants to get her two-year old son, Brayden, a puppy, so she is using Toby to test the waters. I'm a little worried, though, because her house is brand spanking new and I am afraid that Toby is going to "go" in her house. Her sliding door is much, much taller than ours, so our doggy door didn't fit. Toby is used to coming and going as he pleases. Now, all of a sudden he has to wait around for someone to let him out. She works all day, so I suggested putting a baby gate up in the hall, so any accidents can simply be wiped up.
I am both nervous and excited to go to Texas. Yes, I am excited to meet his family, but at the same time, I may die from a fatal heart attack. A- That is a lot of people for me to meet all at once. 2- Questions! There WILL be questions for me to answers. My heart is racing just thinking about it. I don't like to feel interrogated. Nor do I like to answer questions that require me to say more than yes, no, or maybe. I'll play 20-Questions all day, just give me time before asking me to abridge my autobiography for you.
I am very much so looking forward to the food on Thanksgiving. I'd kill for some of my mom's stuffing or purple stuff, but it looks like that will have to wait for another year. This year, I am eating Thanksgiving: Texas-Style.
Happy Thanksgiving!
A few weeks ago, Jeff and I put an offer in on the house we are living in. The owners have to short sale it because they can no longer afford the mortgage, but they don't want to foreclose. They are asking about $95k for it, which is an amazing deal. They bought it two or three years ago for over $200k. The cost of a mortgage payment would be about $200 or more LESS than we are paying for rent. This is going to be a long process, though. The banks take their sweet time on short sales, so we aren't expecting to hear back from them for a good 8 weeks or more. If we get the house, we will stay here for a couple of years. If we don't, we have discussed living on base once we are married. It's just a waiting game.
The wedding planning is....going. I still haven't decided on the dresses for the bridesmaids. I THINK I know what I want, but that changes daily. Most of the big stuff is out of the way, at least. Now, I just have to figure out all the little stuff. Piece of cake, right? Ha.
Two weeks ago, Jeff and I went to my annual employee party. I think that we were both less than thrilled to be going, but to our surprise, we actually had a good time. The dinner was delicious! Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, hot buttered rolls, green beans with almond slivers, salad, and peppermint ice cream. Yum, yum! We won several prizes - nothing special, but we never win anything, so we are easily excited about stuff like that. Then, we danced the night away. Embarrassing, I know. I had to face those people the following Monday....
The next night, Jeff and I participated in the Light the Night walk to help raise funds for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. It was fun. We took Toby, who is the most annoying dog to walk on a leash. Good Lord. I wish that he would get the hang of it.
I made some delicious French Onion soup a couple of weeks ago. It was really good, but Jeff was unimpressed. That is the first dish of mine that he didn't like. I could have eaten the whole pot, though! His major complaint? He didn't like the soggy crouton in the soup. Apparently he has never had French onion soup before! That is the best damn part. He doesn't like broccoli, cauliflower, black olives, coconut, and now French Onion soup?! What am I to do with this man? Those are some of my all-time favorites. :(
I took Jeff to the airport this past Saturday. His cousin, Brian, was getting married later that night. So, he flew out bright and early Saturday morning. Toby and I have just been relaxing and enjoying the quiet around here.
Last night I dropped my dear doggy off at our friend Amanda's house. She wants to get her two-year old son, Brayden, a puppy, so she is using Toby to test the waters. I'm a little worried, though, because her house is brand spanking new and I am afraid that Toby is going to "go" in her house. Her sliding door is much, much taller than ours, so our doggy door didn't fit. Toby is used to coming and going as he pleases. Now, all of a sudden he has to wait around for someone to let him out. She works all day, so I suggested putting a baby gate up in the hall, so any accidents can simply be wiped up.
I am both nervous and excited to go to Texas. Yes, I am excited to meet his family, but at the same time, I may die from a fatal heart attack. A- That is a lot of people for me to meet all at once. 2- Questions! There WILL be questions for me to answers. My heart is racing just thinking about it. I don't like to feel interrogated. Nor do I like to answer questions that require me to say more than yes, no, or maybe. I'll play 20-Questions all day, just give me time before asking me to abridge my autobiography for you.
I am very much so looking forward to the food on Thanksgiving. I'd kill for some of my mom's stuffing or purple stuff, but it looks like that will have to wait for another year. This year, I am eating Thanksgiving: Texas-Style.
Happy Thanksgiving!
11.03.2009
Happy Birthday To Jeff! :)
What's new? Not too much, but I shall blog anyway.
On October 25, Jeff and I decided to watch "The Haunting in Connecticut." Lame. Anyway, just as the dead kid sits up in the Priest's (or Minister's?) backseat, the doorbell rings. It is my next-door-neighbor. She came over to tell us to check our backyard because she heard a noise and went outside to investigate. She had just put down grass seed earlier in the day and in the mud were footprints that did not belong to her. When she came out, the person jumped the cement wall.
I was freaked out. First, a "scary" movie and now a weirdo in the neighborhood. Fan-freaking-tastic! Of course, it was a Sunday night and Jeff had to leave for work in less than an hour. I did not sleep much that night.
On Friday, I dressed up in one of Jeff's old uniforms for our Halloween party at work. They were big, but I didn't want to go spend money on a costume that I would only need for work. Everyone loved it, though.
Jeff went out with his friends that night to celebrate Halloween. He dressed like a German pilot from WWII. He looked pretty spiffy. He wanted me to join him, but I had no desire to dress like a two-bit whore and prance around a bar. So, I stayed home and cleaned and prepared the stuff for the party.
I was up until about 4:00 AM getting stuff ready. Thank God that I did it the night before! On Saturday, I went to the gym, got home, decorated Jeff's cake, and started to clean up the kitchen. I finished just as our friends, Beau and Nicole, were arriving with their kids. So, I ran through the shower really fast.
We probably had somewhere between 15 and 20 people come to Jeff's birthday party. It was a nice turnout. There were so many babies! I went trick or treating with Nicole and her kids, but not for long. It was hectic, so she decided to turn back.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake, which was a relief. I don't have any experience making cakes outside of a boxed mix and a can of frosting. So, making my own was fun, but I was nervous that it wouldn't be that great.
For his birthday, I got him a gift certificate for a massage because he needs one and I got him a 20-round Ruger magazine clip for one of his guns. He loved it!
We played Catch Phrase, which was a lot of fun with the big group of people. Of course, the girls won. No surprise there. :)
The last of the people left around 2 AM. We were dead tired. I was hoping to sleep in on Sunday, but no such luck. Instead, I was up around 8. I went to the gym, came home, showered, and relaxed.
Jeff and I went to Rio Mirage for his birthday dinner. It was delicious, as usual. :)
Our friends Beau and Nicole had an in-home interview with the people from "Super Nanny". They are one of five families in the running from the Phoenix area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them! :)
Anyway, that is all I know for now. I should probably head to work. F-U-N!
On October 25, Jeff and I decided to watch "The Haunting in Connecticut." Lame. Anyway, just as the dead kid sits up in the Priest's (or Minister's?) backseat, the doorbell rings. It is my next-door-neighbor. She came over to tell us to check our backyard because she heard a noise and went outside to investigate. She had just put down grass seed earlier in the day and in the mud were footprints that did not belong to her. When she came out, the person jumped the cement wall.
I was freaked out. First, a "scary" movie and now a weirdo in the neighborhood. Fan-freaking-tastic! Of course, it was a Sunday night and Jeff had to leave for work in less than an hour. I did not sleep much that night.
On Friday, I dressed up in one of Jeff's old uniforms for our Halloween party at work. They were big, but I didn't want to go spend money on a costume that I would only need for work. Everyone loved it, though.
Jeff went out with his friends that night to celebrate Halloween. He dressed like a German pilot from WWII. He looked pretty spiffy. He wanted me to join him, but I had no desire to dress like a two-bit whore and prance around a bar. So, I stayed home and cleaned and prepared the stuff for the party.
I was up until about 4:00 AM getting stuff ready. Thank God that I did it the night before! On Saturday, I went to the gym, got home, decorated Jeff's cake, and started to clean up the kitchen. I finished just as our friends, Beau and Nicole, were arriving with their kids. So, I ran through the shower really fast.
We probably had somewhere between 15 and 20 people come to Jeff's birthday party. It was a nice turnout. There were so many babies! I went trick or treating with Nicole and her kids, but not for long. It was hectic, so she decided to turn back.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake, which was a relief. I don't have any experience making cakes outside of a boxed mix and a can of frosting. So, making my own was fun, but I was nervous that it wouldn't be that great.
For his birthday, I got him a gift certificate for a massage because he needs one and I got him a 20-round Ruger magazine clip for one of his guns. He loved it!
We played Catch Phrase, which was a lot of fun with the big group of people. Of course, the girls won. No surprise there. :)
The last of the people left around 2 AM. We were dead tired. I was hoping to sleep in on Sunday, but no such luck. Instead, I was up around 8. I went to the gym, came home, showered, and relaxed.
Jeff and I went to Rio Mirage for his birthday dinner. It was delicious, as usual. :)
Our friends Beau and Nicole had an in-home interview with the people from "Super Nanny". They are one of five families in the running from the Phoenix area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them! :)
Anyway, that is all I know for now. I should probably head to work. F-U-N!
10.27.2009
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
I became obsessed with this bread after my friend's mom gave me a baggy of starter. It got to be too much for me, though, because I never gave away the starter and didn't know that I could cut down on the "feedings" to produce less.
Recently, I started craving it again, but had no idea how to get a hold of some of the starter. I started searching online and found a recipe to make my very own starter. I was so excited.
Here is the recipe that I followed the first time. You will wind up with about four cups of starter on day 27. I kept one cup in a glass jar, so that I can keep it alive. Then, I baked the other three cups. With one cup, I made pumpkin bread, with the second cup, I baked lemon poppy seed bread, and with the third cup, I made the traditional Amish bread. This will make SIX loaves.
However, now I am going to cut down on my feedings. I will only add 1/4 C each of flour, sugar, and milk. That way, I can just bake one cup and save one.
I doubt that any of you will be interested in doing this, but I just love doing it. Plus, the results are SUPER tasty! It really isn't as daunting as it seems. If you forget to stir it for a couple of days, it isn't a big deal. If you happen to be going out of town, you can refrigerate it and ignore it for up to a week.
PS- all that stuff about not using metal is crap. Use whatever you have.
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
Combine ingredients in a large, deep glass or plastic container. Cover lightly. If the container has a lid, leave it slightly open, or place a piece of cheesecloth over the container and secure it with a rubber band. Store at room temperature.
Stir every day for 17 days.
On the 18th day do nothing.
On the 19, 20 and 21, stir.
On day 22 stir and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir again.
On days 23, 24, 25 and 26 stir.
On day 27, add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1 cup sugar. Stir. You should have about 4 cups starter. Give 1 cup each to two friends and keep the remaining two cups for yourself.
Use one in Amish Friendship Bread recipe (which follows) and use the other to keep the starter going.
When you give away the starter, include these instructions:
How to keep a starter going:
Do not refrigerate and do not use a metal spoon when stirring.
On day 1 (the day you receive you starter) do nothing.
Days, 2 3, and 4, stir or squeeze the bag.
On day 5, stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
Pour mixture into large glass mixing bowl; cover lightly. Mixture will rise.
On days, 6, 7, 8 and 9, stir.
On day 10, stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk and stir. Give 1 cup each to two friends, keeping one cup to make the bread and one cup for your starter.
Amish Friendship Bread
1 c. starter
1 c. oil
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. nuts, chopped
1 lg. box instant vanilla pudding
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In a small bowl, make a cinnamon and sugar mixture to sprinkle inside pans. Reserve some.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into prepared pans. Sprinkle some reserved cinnamon and sugar mixture on top.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
To freeze: wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)